Going Against the Grain Part 3: Atheism

An atheist is someone who does not believe in God. Church pastor in Kearney Tim Stratton thinks atheism is picking up on college campuses. He frequently visits the UNK campus to debate faith with non-believers.

One atheist he has yet to talk to is Jimmy Weber, Weber says his lifestyle frustrates his parents at times.

“My mom will say to me ‘I’m just really scared of you straying off the path’. I was never really on the path to begin with,” said Weber.

In middle school and high school Weber was bullied and he prayed the bullies would stop picking on him, those prayers were never answered. At the age of 18 he became an atheist. Pastor Stratton thinks being an atheist in a strong Christian community can be rough.

“Right of the bat you don’t have any objective grounds for morality all that’s left is subjective preferences and opinions you can’t say anything is objective right or wrong,” said Stratton.

Stratton debates with atheists on social media by responding to messages and posting opinions of his own.

“If I’m wrong I want to know. I said I’m always more committed to truth than I am to Christianity. I am a Christian because I’ve been convinced by the evidence in my relationship with god Christianity is true,” said Stratton.